Companies such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi co, etc are few of the biggest producers of consumer products. Products such as aerated beverages, potato chips, etc, are few of the products which was plastic for the packaging purposes. Now most of the companies are shifting to degradable products to reduce their carbon footprint in the society. I think even other companies should also follow them and start using biodegradable products.
Coca-Cola has decided to use plant products to make bottles for their beverages. The new beverage container is the same weight and has the same feel but has promised to reduce the carbon footprint of Coca-Cola by nearly eighteen percent. It is made up of nearly seventy percent of petroleum based product and the remaining thirty percent of sugarcane based product. The older types of bottle were made up polyethylene terephthalate or PET which nearly consumed about seventeen million barrels of oil in 2006. If coco-cola alone consumers such huge amount of petroleum product then imagine how much of non renewable sources are depleted by other products when combined. Consumers should be aware that the Earth will be completely depleted of non renewable products in another sixty years, so everyone needs to be conscious of their own carbon footprint and try to reduce it as much as possible. Buying products which are made of bio degradable products are safe for the planet and also reduce the usage of non renewable material.
The ‘plant bottle’ from Coco-cola will debut itself during the Vancouver Winter Olympics game 2010. Coco-cola is also aiming to sell nearly 2 million of these drinks in these bottles. However, the plant bottles do not preserve the content very well as the PET bottles. They cannot last longer and the plant bottle cannot hold carbonated drink as well as the PET bottles. Coco-cola is taking a huge step in making such a decision. It is also a huge risk where they might have a huge loss or profit with this new plant bottle of theirs.
Other products such as Pepsi co have started making compostable bags for their Sun chips. It is also a big step where a huge number of populations have a different variety of chips which are packaged in plastic bags. When all chips containers are made into compostable bags then the usage of plastics will reduce drastically. Nestle is also reducing the plastic content in their bottles.
Hopefully they set a good example to the other big brands which can also try and reduce their carbon foot print in the society. Coco-cola funded a study which came to a conclusion that only 27 percent of the USA population recycle and where as the other products just end up in the junkyard. These are also the main reason for the increase of the carbon footprint. As a consumer and also a citizen we should be responsible enough to recycle our waste and buy products which are environment friendly. This will in turn reduce the carbon footprint of an individual as well.
